Dead Branch Removal In St. George, Ontario

Why Do Trees Drop Dead Branches?

Sap stops reaching a doomed branch years ahead of the fall. The limb then seasons in place until it is dry enough to snap under nothing more than its own load.

Scheduling dead branch removal costs less and is far safer than letting the tree pick the moment and the landing spot.

Why Do Both Soils Here Produce Dead Wood?

Clay and gravel cause the same result for opposite reasons, which is why dead branch removal calls come from every part of the village.

Below the first foot of clay there is almost no oxygen left. Roots refuse to go deeper, and a tree short of air starts dying back from the very top. Gravel does the reverse. Its water has drained away by mid-July, and a tree under drought stress abandons whatever growth costs it the most. Both routes put the dead wood at the top of the tree, out of easy view.

Dead Ash Trees Are A Common Problem Around St. George

Working on a dead ash is about as hard as this trade gets. Brittle limbs release without any warning, which puts the job in the hands of people who have done a few already.

Emerald ash borer arrived in this watershed about 2010 and there is very little live ash left. Sixteen thousand and more have come down off conservation authority land, yet nobody ever counted the ones in back yards. Dead ash trees stand all over St. George as a result. We will strip the dead limbs from yours or take the whole tree down.

Which Dead Branches Should Be Removed First?

Urgency in dead branch removal varies a great deal. A limb that has already snapped and hung up in the canopy is going to reach the ground sooner or later, so the real question is what it lands on.

These are the ones we treat as urgent:

- Any branch already snapped and hanging, whether it is caught in the crown or held on by bark - Dead branches over a parked car, a doorway, a path or a driveway - Dead branches above a public road or sidewalk - Anything dead close enough to touch a hydro line

A dead limb with nothing but open lawn beneath it can safely wait for your next booked visit. Telling you that is better than billing you for a rush you never required.

How Can I Tell If A Branch Is Dead?

Dead branch removal usually starts with something you spotted from the lawn. Any single item on this list is worth a phone call:

- A single leafless limb in midsummer while everything around it is green - Bark lifting away in flakes, with dry grey wood underneath - Fungus growing from a branch or around the base of the trunk - Pale patches on an ash where woodpeckers have been working at the bark

When you cannot tell, our visit to settle the question is free of charge.

What Happens During A Dead Branch Removal Visit?

We survey the entire tree before a saw starts. Dead wood almost never sits in one spot alone, and clearing every piece in one dead branch removal booking beats paying for a return trip.

Every limb rides down on a rigging line instead of falling free, which keeps whatever sits beneath it intact. Brush then goes to the chipper, leaves with us, and the ground gets raked.